Golf club



Sept. 23,- 1924. 1,509,429 J. A. HILLERICH GOLF CLUB Filed Jan. 19, 1924 WMTMWI I wow-0M (gi commjb Patented Sept. 23, 1924.

UNITED STATES JOHN A. HILLERICH, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

GOLF CLUB.

Application filed January 19, 1924. Serial No. 687,296.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. HILLERICH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefierson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Golf Clubs, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to golf clubs and it has particular relation to the head construction of the driver type.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide. a golf club head of the character described, having a metallic integral angle member, the respective flanges of which together constituting the face plate and the sole plate, and which is so constructed and secured in position as to minimize any tendency for the same to become loosened or displaced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a golf club head of the character designated having a balancing weight that is so secured in position that it cannot become loose and rattle within the head of the club. With such objects in view, as well as other advantages which mayv be incident to the use of the improvements, the invention consists in the parts and combinations thereof hereinafter set forth and claimed, with the understanding that the several necessary elements constituting the same may be varied in proportions and arrangement without departing from the nature and scope of the invention.

In order to make the invention more clearly understood there are shown in the accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practical elfect, without limiting the improvements in their useful applications, as to the particular constructions which, for the purpose ofex lanation, have been made the subject of i ustration,

In the accompanyin drawings;-

Figure 1 is a side e evationaJ. view of a golf club constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on line 33 ofFig. 2.

Referrin to the drawings A golf 0 ub head constructed in accord-- V ance with the invention is illustratedas embodying a body or head portion 1 having a shank portion 2 to which the handle or shaft 3 is adapted to be secured. The rear portion of the lower face or sole of the head is provided with the usual heel plate 4. The lower face of the body portion 1 is also pro vided with a channel or'groove 5 which extends from the heel plate 4 to the lower forward edge of the head. The front face 6 of the body portion 1 is also provided with a channel or groove 7 which intersects the groove 5 at the lower forward edge of the club. The side walls of the grooves 5 and 7 areinclined with respect to each other, the widest portion of the grooves being at the lower forward edge of the club.

An angle member 8 having an upwardly extending flange 9 and a horizontally disposed rearwardly extending flange 10 is disposed in the grooves 5 and 7 and secured in position by means of screws or other suitable fastening members 11. The angle member 8 is preferably constructed from a relatively tough, light metal such as aluminum. The flanges 9 and 10 respectively form the forward driving plate and the lower or sole plate of the club. These flanges are tapered from their line of intersection towards their extremities; the angle of inclination of the edges being substantially that of the side walls of their respective grooves.

The width of the lower portion of the forward or driving plate 9 is slightly in excess of that of the forward edge of the lower or sole plate 10 and provides overlapping corner portions 12 which protect the corners formed on the body portion 1 at the point of intersection of the channels 5 and 7.

By cans of this construction a wedging action 1s provided between the flanges 9 and 10 of the angle member 8 and the side walls of the cows 5 and 7 and also a similar action etween the said flanges and the body portion of the club. The result is that jars and strains to which the club is sub jected in use will not loosen or displa e the plates but will have a tendency to mor firm- 1y wedge the same into place. Further ore, by reason of the 'fact that the face plate 9 and the sole plate 10 are integrally formed the angle of inclination of these plates will substantially remain the same and there will be no tendency for" the plates toseparate at their .adjacent edges as instructures embodying two separate and independent plates.

The lower face of the body portion 1 is further provided with a recess 13 which is disposed within the boundaries. of the groove 5 and which is adapted to receive a balancing weight" 14. It may be found that in order to obtain the proper balance of the club that it is necessary to make the weight 14 smaller than the recess 13, and in such event there will be a tendency for the weight to work loose and rattle. In order to obviate this difficulty the rear screw or fastening member 11 is positioned so as to pass through the weight and into the body portion of the club as is indicated in Fig. 3. The weight 14 preferably consists of relatively soft metal such as lead so that when the fastening member 11 is screwed into place it will automatically form a threaded aperture in the weight 14 and maintain the same against displacement or lost motion.

What I claim is l. A golf club head comprising a body portion having a channeled forward driving face and a channeled lower sole face, the channels in said faces intersecting at the lower forward edge of said body portion and having side walls which diverge toward said edge; and an integral metallic angle member having an upwardly extending front flange and a rearwardly extending lower flange respectively disposed in said channels, the edges of said flanges being inclined to correspond to the inclination of the said walls of said channels to provide a wedging action therebetween and a wedging action between the flanges of said angle member and the body portion of said club.

2-. A golf club head comprising a. body ortion provided with a recess in its lower face, a balancing weight disposed in said recess, a sole plate secured to the lower face of said body portion and a fastening member for securing said sole plate to said body portion, said fastening member passing through said Weight to maintain the same against lost motion.

3. A golf club head comprising a body portion having a channeled forward driving face and a channeled lower sole face, the channels in said faces intersecting at the lower forward edge of said body portion and having side walls which diverge towards said edge, said lower face being also provided with a recess disposed within the boundaries of the channel formed therein; a balancing weight disposed within said recess; an integral angle member having an upwardly extending front flange and a rearwardly extending lower flange respectively disposed in said channels to provide a reinforcing front driving plate and a reinforcing lower sole plate, the edges of said flanges being inclined to correspond to the inclination of the side walls of said channels, to provide a wedging action between the edges of said flanges and the side walls of said channels and a wedging action between the flanges ofsaid angle member and the body portion of said club; and a plurality of fastening members for securing said flanges in said channels, one of said members of the lower flange extending through said weight and into said body portion to maintain said weight in position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOHN A. HILLERICH. 

